This invention pertains to a therapeutic cushion for supporting a person in a face-down prone position. More specifically, it pertains to such a cushion which has a channel in one end which provides an air passageway for a person's head placed face-down therein. It also pertains to such a cushion which is formed of an assembly of nestable pillows which alternatively support a person in a supine position.
The present invention is intended for professional use in therapy, orthopedic, chiropractic and similar centers and for individual use for positioning a person so that his or her back is in a forwardly curving condition. Typically, when a person is placed on a cushion which is high in the center and low at the ends, with the abdomen being placed on the high, center region, the spine is completely flexed except for the cervical region. The reason for this exception is that in order for a person to lay comfortably on a conventional cushion having a completely smooth surface, he or she must either turn his or her head sideways or support the forehead with an additional pillow. These positions cause the cervical region of the spine to either be twisted or bent in an undesirable manner. It is therapeutically preferable to have a person's entire spine in a curved, relaxed condition. This is also important where a doctor is providing treatment or performing ultrasound or other techniques on the person.
In a similar fashion, it is also desirable, as part of the treatment program, to have a person lay down in what has been termed in the trade, a Fowler position. This is a supine position in which the knees are bent and the shoulders and neck are flexed so that the entire spine is completely flexed. In this position the spinal joints are opened and pressure is taken off of nerve roots.
It is therefore a desired object of this invention to provide a cushion which will completely support a person in a face-down prone position. This includes structure which will support the head of a person so that the entire spine remains in a completely flexed condition while allowing such a person to have an unobstructed breathing passageway.
It is also a desired objective to provide such a cushion which is formed of an assembly of pillows which may be disassembled and easily transported.
It is a further objective to provide such an assembly of pillows which may be used in both a face-down prone and a Fowler-type supine position.
Another object of this invention is to provide an assembly which will hold itself in an assembled position when placed and used on a support surface.
It is also a desire to provide a cushion having adjustable resilience to meet the needs of different users.
A preferred embodiment of this invention includes an assembly having two end pillows which have a generally V-shaped profile when viewed from the side and are placeable against each other to form a valley. An intermediate pillow having a diamond-shape when viewed from the side, is nestable in the valley to complete the assembled cushion. A channel disposed in at least one of the end pillows has an opening in an upper surface sized to support the sides of a head placed face-down thereon. The channel also provides a clear air passageway.
The two end pillows also support a person in a Fowler-type supine position when they are spaced apart from their positions in the three-pillow assembly.
It has been found that by making the pillows inflatable and putting conventional air-lock valves on them. their firmness or resilience may be varied to satisfy the needs of different persons. In addition, it is more easily transported in a deflated condition. Also, by mounting soft rubber pads near the corners of the bottom surface of each end pillow, the pillows tend to grip a surface on which they are placed, thereby preventing their slipping apart during use.
These and additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be more clearly understood from a consideration of the drawings and the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments.